Ten questions for book group discussions of The People’s Republic of Love

Out now from SRL Publishing.

1. Would you thrive or disappear in this society?
   The Republic rewards performance, charisma, and narrative. What kinds of people succeed here, and who is systematically excluded? Where would you place yourself?
2. Reality TV without empathy
   Charlotte’s storyline blurs entertainment and life-or-death stakes. What is the novel suggesting about our relationship with reality TV, spectacle, and audience complicity?
3. Constructed identities
   Tamsin constructs a more visible, performative version of herself to enter the Republic. How does the novel treat the idea of self-invention? Is identity something you gradually learn about yourself, or that you make up?
4. What does “visibility” really mean in the novel?
   In this world, invisibility is a kind of death. In current society, visibility wins elections, gets jobs, makes money… But is it truly empowering, or does it restrict (or even trap) you?
5. Is this society inevitable?
   What, if anything, could prevent this kind of society emerging? Which elements felt most familiar, and therefore most unsettling?
6. A grounding in history
   How does Tamsin’s secret obsession with Victorian engineer Isambard Kindom Brunel influence her behaviour, and her self-image?
7. Learning how to be alone
   How do you interpret Charlotte’s choices? How does she change and what does she gain from changing?  
8. The dynamics of friendship
   The relationship between Tamsin and Charlotte sits at the emotional core of the book. How is their friendship altered by the pressures of the Republic? What remains constant, if anything?
9. Intimacy under surveillance
   How does the Republic reshape intimate relationships, romantic or otherwise? Is genuine closeness possible in a world where everything is mediated and observed?
10. The wardrobe and other imagery
    What symbolism did you notice as you were reading? How does it reflect the two main characters and their lives?

Getting it for your book club

The People’s Republic of Love is available to order in paperback from all good bookshops, including Waterstones, Blackwells etc.

It’s on Amazon in paperbook and ebook (only £3.99). You can also request it from your local library – here is the link for Libraries West if you’re in the Westcountry (select ‘stock suggestion’).